


loud voices, quiet confessions

by BottomDeathstroke



Series: Black Hat tries to be Nice (TM) [4]
Category: Villainous (Cartoon)
Genre: Bed-Wetting, Brotherly Affection, Brotherly Love, Child Neglect, Childhood Memories, Childhood Trauma, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Non-Sexual Age Play, Omorashi, Past Child Abuse, Platonic Cuddling, Platonic Relationships, Running Away, Trans Flug (Villainous), Trans Male Character, Wetting, but lbh he's still going through a lot of shit, for once flug doesn't get spanked
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-23
Updated: 2019-02-23
Packaged: 2019-11-04 06:40:44
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,435
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17893436
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BottomDeathstroke/pseuds/BottomDeathstroke
Summary: Flug has finally agreed to let Black Hat become a father to him, but to be entirely honest, even Black Hat doesn't know what he's doing! After barely avoiding another argument, Black Hat has Flug open up about his past traumas. It's about time Flug told his new family about his old one…





	loud voices, quiet confessions

**Author's Note:**

> I'll be honest; this was pretty hard to sit down and write. I dunno, I just spent a lot of time with my family these past few days, and I'm also scared that I'm getting sick. Still, I'm sorry for taking a bit. Hope this makes up for it!

When Flug first wakes up, he’s more than a little disoriented. Sitting up, he gives the room he’s in a quick once over, his eyes feeling itchy. He rubs at them, hating how blotchy his face feels, although he can’t really blame himself for having cried so hard. Flug’s pretty sure the hairbrush was overkill, considering how hard Black Hat can spank him without an implement, but it’s not like he can do anything about it now. After giving himself a few minutes to enjoy the warmth of the bed, Flug tentatively crawls out from under the covers, walking himself to stand by the nearest window. Careful to not show too much of himself to the outside world, Flug peeks outside, eyes squinting at the steadily setting sun.

Did he _really_ sleep until _sundown?_ Flug resists the urge to sigh, aware of how much time he’s wasted today. Glancing down, the young scientist gives his attire a less than impressed look, feeling more than a little dumb wearing nothing but a T-shirt and diaper. To make matters even worse, Flug realizes that he’s used the protection, the front of the diaper damp and heavy. Flug looks around for the supplies from earlier, but to his dismay, it seems Black Hat took them with him. Speaking of the villainous demon, where is he? With all the sluggishness of waking up, Flug failed to notice that Black Hat had been missing from the room, but now he sees that he’s been alone the entire time. Suddenly, Flug grows worried; will Black Hat get mad that he’s out of bed?

The boy rushes back to Black Hat's bed, throwing himself under the covers. Just as Flug’s head pops out from under the blankets, the door creaks open, and in walks none other than Black Hat himself. A wave of relief washes over Flug, only to be replaced soon after with confusion. Wait… did he _really_ miss Black Hat? After all he’s done to him? Well, it wouldn’t be the weirdest thing that’s happened today. Flug sits up on his knees as Black Hat walks towards the bed, silently praying that the demon won’t make him _ask_ to be changed. He shivers at the very thought; Flug’s fairly certain that he’d die of embarrassment if he had to do that. He’d rather go back over Black Hat’s knee than go through something so humiliating… actually, considering how sore he is, Flug takes that back.

“Good morning, doctor. Or should I say good afternoon?” Black Hat chuckles, effortlessly picking Flug up and sitting him on his hip. The demon ghosts a hand over the young man’s backside, not at all surprised to find that he’s wet. “Good to see you’re not trying to hold it.” He says, giving Flug an indulgent pat on his rear.

Flug ducks his head, unbelievably embarrassed by the situation. Thankfully, Black Hat doesn’t continue to comment on it. Instead, he lays Flug back down on the bed, snapping his fingers to produce the supplies he needs from thin air. The demon makes swift work of changing Flug into a fresh diaper, but the boy still can’t bear to watch, covering his face with his hands. It’s only then, with his fingertips touching his hair, that Flug realizes he’s without his mask. He automatically feels sick to his stomach, hating to be without the accessory. To most people in the villain and hero businesses, a mask is just a mask, but to Flug, it’s so much more. A mask hides him from the world- hides the person he grew up as- and he hates to be without it.

Apparently his panicking is obvious, because with another finger snap, Black Hat has a new paper bag alongside the boy’s goggles. He hands them to Flug, who instantly takes them from the other villain, pulling on the items and letting out a shaky sigh once they’re in place. _Much_ better. At that same moment, Black Hat finishes with the diaper change, tugging  a pair of sweatpants over the boy’s thin legs to keep him warm. Afterwards, he again picks Flug up, clearly preferring to carry him everywhere. Flug can’t say he minds much; he’s still pretty worn out still from the spanking. Flug lays his head on his boss’s shoulder, dozing off somewhat as Black Hat carries him out of the room, running right into Demencia, who seems excited to see Flug again.

“Hi, Flug!” Demencia chirps, grinning excitedly at the young scientist. She reaches to ruffle his bag, but stops herself, seeing the look on Black Hat’s face.

“Don’t touch him; he’s still very tired,” Black Hat warns, allowing Demencia to follow him and Flug into the kitchen downstairs, the demon sitting Flug down on an empty chair while he begins messing with something that’s already cooking on the stove. “Demencia my dear, would you set the table?” He requests without looking up, too busy stirring something in a big pot. It smells _heavenly._

Demencia deflates, clearly unhappy with doing a chore, but she nonetheless relents, beginning to set out bowls and spoons. At that moment, 505 comes walking in, the large bear making a pleased noise upon seeing his creator. The bear immediately picks up and hugs Flug to his chest, oblivious to Black Hat glaring at him from out of the corner of his eye. “Easy, mi hijo,” Flug murmurs, biting back a yawn as he hugs the bear back, feeling safe in his arms. “I’m okay, I promise.”

“As fine as he can be after getting spanked by Black Hat~!” Demencia teases, earning a harsh glare from Flug. “What? It’s true.”

Flug rolls his eyes, blushing underneath his bag at the reminder. He’ll never admit it, but his backside is still pretty sore, especially since Black Hat used the brush on him. “Whatever, at least I don’t think roadkill is a snack.” Flug says, silently hoping to get a rise out of the lizard woman. He wouldn't mind finding a way to get back at Demencia for teasing him.

Demencia huffs, but doesn’t rise to the challenge, especially with Black Hat in the room. Thankfully for her, Black Hat takes note of the attempt at an argument, and fixes Flug with a stern glare. “Cut it out, hijo. Do you really want to test me again tonight? I've no problem repeating your lesson from earlier.” It’s an empty threat, as Black Hat knows Flug can’t take another spanking so soon, but he’s willing to scare the boy into behaving if he has to.

That straightens Flug out no problem, the scientist looking away in embarrassment and a small amount of genuine fear. “N-No, señor… I’ll be better,” He goes out of his way to not say _‘I’ll be good’,_ worried it would make him sound too juvenile. “I’m sorry, jefe.” He adds, hoping to kill the tense atmosphere.

Black Hat hums, satisfied with Flug’s response. “Very good, hijo,” He goes back to focusing on the pot in front of him, throwing out an additional order over his shoulder, as he can't stand seeing the beast hold his boy any longer. “505, put him down.”

505, without thinking, outright drops Flug, who lands on the floor with a loud _‘thunk’._ Black Hat’s by his side in an instant, crouched on the floor while looking the boy over. “Ow,” Flug makes the noise through gritted teeth, his head aching. “I’m okay, jefe.” He assures once he's sitting up again, noticing the venomous glare Black Hat is showing to a _very_ scared and apologetic 505.

“You’re lucky he likes you, _chucho,”_ Black Hat growls, picking up Flug himself and setting him back in his chair. “Otherwise I’d skin you alive. Honestly, can you do _anything_ right?”

That strikes a nerve. “Jefe, _please!_ He’s sorry, I swear!” Flug insists, upset that Black Hat would say such a thing to his beloved bear. Honestly, nothing gets him angrier than Black Hat’s poor treatment of the failed experiment.

Black Hat continues his glaring for a few minutes, before snarling and turning back to the soup, giving everyone the cold shoulder out of childish spite. 505 whines, but otherwise doesn’t say anything, preferring to crawl under the table and cower. “Oh, mi hijo,” Flug whispers, keeping his voice low as he subtly pets 505. “It’s okay… I’m okay.”

“No thanks to that useless bear.” Black Hat points out, refusing to look up from where he’s making dinner.

“Hey!” Flug doesn’t hesitate at all to get angry when it’s on behalf of 505. “Be nice to him; it’s not his fault he took your order literally!”

“You do _not_ raise your voice at me, little one!” Black Hat snaps, pointing the soup spoon at Flug in a way that anyone with half a brain would find threatening. “I’ll treat that accident however I wish!”

“Ooooo,” Demencia sounds out, on the edge of her seat. She’s genuinely curious to see if Black Hat will deliver on his earlier threat towards Flug if the scientist decides to continue arguing with his boss. “Should’ve made popcorn instead of soup, boss!”

“You’d best stay out of it if you know what’s good for you!” Black Hat all but shouts, beginning to grow angry by everyone’s behavior, secretly even his own, though he’ll never admit it out loud. Being around 505 just makes him so _angry,_ especially after the bear harmed his boy!

Flug closes his eyes, thinking his next actions out _very_ carefully. Deciding that answering verbally will only get him into more trouble, he stands and makes for the door, pulling 505 along to follow him. Black Hat reacts right away, voice coming out exasperated. “Where do you think _you’re_ going!?” He asks, clearly having expected Flug to continue arguing with him.

“My room; I don’t have to put up with you being a jerk,” Flug deadpans, refusing to look back as he leads his creation away from Black Hat and Demencia. “Come on, 505.”

Once he reaches his bedroom, Flug breathes a sigh of relief. He knows damn well that Black Hat might show up and punish him any minute now, but he can’t bring himself to care. He’s tired, and to see his boss verbally abuse his pet was the last straw. Flug face-plants onto his bed, sighing with fatigue in his voice as 505 crawls onto the bed beside him, the added weight causing the bed to creak. Flug wraps his arms as much as he can around the bear's torso, burying his face in the white fur of his creation’s tummy. Slowly, Flug tries to calm down, realizing too late that he's hyperventilating and shaking. Seeing Black Hat scold 505 like that… it reminded him too much of his parents, who routinely scolded him for things he really couldn’t control. Before he can stop it from happening, he finds himself spiraling into a long forgotten memory.

 _“Honestly, are you really this fucking stupid!? How can't you say even the_ simplest _of words? I did_ not _raise such a stupid daughter! How do you expect people to take you seriously if you continuously stumble over everything you say?” Flug's mother towers over him, hands on her hips as she scowls down at the seven year old in front of her.  
_

_“I-I-I-” Flug can’t get the words out, voice trembling as tears begin to slide down his face.  
_

_“I-I-I-” His mother mockingly repeats, leaning down and sneering at her young child. “What in the name of God are you trying to say, young lady? Huh? Say something coherent for once in your life!"_

_“I-I’m sorry, mama! I-It was an a-accident!” Flug sobs, burying his face in his hands. He can’t meet his mother’s eyes, not when she’s yelling at him._

_“An accident? There’s no such thing as accidents, little girl! You just like seeing people upset, don’t you? You get a kick out of frustrating me? You’re useless,” His mother doesn’t pull any punches with her words, beginning to walk away from the crying child. “No one’s ever going to love such a miserable waste of space.” She says, leaving Flug to run to his room and cry, feeling more alone than ever before._

“Flug? Flug! Hijo, snap out of it!”

Flug jolts out of his memory, more than a little disoriented. He looks around, eyes eventually landing on Black Hat. He immediately cowers, pressing himself against 505 for protection. “I-I’m sorry, jefe!” He manages, voice trembling in terror. Will he yell at Flug, too?

Black Hat softens, scooping Flug up and hugging him to his chest, subtly bouncing the scientist in his arms. “It’s alright, hijo… I didn’t mean to upset you,” The demon takes a seat on his boy’s bed, struggling to ignore 505’s presence. “There there.”

Flug waits until he’s done sobbing to even _try_ speaking again, too scared of stuttering and getting in trouble for it. “I-I’m sorry, sir,” He repeats, slowly but surely coming back to himself. “I d-didn’t mean to f-freak out!”

“Freak out? You handled that better than I expected,” Black Hat admits, calmly rubbing Flug’s back in soothing circles. “I much prefer you walking away rather than staying in the room and risking an argument,” As Flug settles down, the demon sits him on his lap, not quite meeting the boy’s eyes as he begins his apology. “If anyone should be sorry, it’s me. I was… _unfair_ to 505,” He admits, something that truly surprises Flug; his boss _never_ apologizes, especially not for being mean to 505! “I’ll do my best to be kinder to him in the future.”

Flug can’t help but raise an eyebrow, his crying entirely having ceased by Black Hat’s very uncharacteristic behavior. “Y-You’re… you’re sorry? But y-you’re never sorry! Ever!” He points out, tilting his head at the demon.

Black Hat blushes a little, somewhat ashamed. “I know, hijo. But… I can’t stand seeing you so upset.” He admits, taking a moment to put his hands under Flug’s bag, pulling it up enough so he can use his thumbs to rub away Flug’s tear tracks.

Flug frowns, feeling a bit guilty for causing such a reaction. Maybe mom was right… he really _does_ make everyone upset, doesn't he? At the thought of her, he visibly wilts, something that draws Black Hat’s attention. “Hijo? What’s wrong, little one?” He asks, controlling his voice to keep it from sounding frustrated in any way; no need to make Flug cry again.

The scientist sighs, not quite meeting his boss’s eyes. “It’s not _you,_ jefe,” He admits, refusing to look at anything but the floor. “What you said to 505, it just… reminded me of my mom. She always said everything was my fault, and I just… I’m sorry.”

If Black Hat felt bad earlier, it’s nothing compared to the waves of self loathing that wash over him due to Flug’s admission. He swore to replace Flug’s terrible parents, and now look at what he's done; he’s copied their behaviors and put Flug right back into that environment. “I’m so, _so_ sorry, hijo,” Black Hat murmurs, hugging Flug tighter in an attempt to dispel all of his pain. “That witch didn’t deserve you… and she doesn’t even deserve to be called a witch either! At least witches are powerful and useful!”

Flug laughs a little, ignoring the extra tears that now trail down his cheeks. “It’s okay, jefe. You didn’t know,” He sighs, laying his head on Black Hat’s shoulder. After a lengthy pause, with the two men comforting each other, the boy feels his stomach rumble. “Can we, um, eat now? I’m sorry, I’m just-”

“-No, it’s fine,” Black Hat assures, secretly relieved to hear that Flug is actually hungry for once; that’s one less argument they have to have tonight. “Let’s go have some stew, hm? We can talk later,” Upon seeing Flug stiffen in fear, the demon’s quick to correct himself. “Don’t worry, hijo, you’re not in trouble. We just need to… _discuss_ something. Something important.”

“Um… okay.” Flug agrees, his nausea at the thought of getting spanked again lessening somewhat, though he remains on edge, just in case Black Hat loses his temper.

This clearly bothers Black Hat, but he chooses not to comment on it. Instead, he carries his makeshift offspring out of the bedroom and back into the kitchen, praying silently that some food will brighten his and his son’s spirits.

…

After dinner, Flug feels much, _much_ better. Despite being a retired villain, Black Hat’s cooking skills are much better than the scientist expected! Once full of the demon’s hearty meat and vegetable stew, Flug sighs, relaxing in his seat as 505 goes about collecting everyone’s bowls. “Ey, back off, bear!” Demencia snaps when the creation tries to take her bowl from her, the lizard woman huddled over her meal with the attitude of a starving lion. “I’m going for seconds after this!”

“More like thirds.” Flug jokes, but not in a mean way.

Demencia rolls her eyes, but the smile on her face makes Flug relax again; he doesn’t think he can take anymore fighting today. Before Flug can get up and go to bed, Black Hat gently grabs his forearm, giving him a look that demands obedience, but not in a dangerous way. Flug meets the demon’s eyes, forcing himself to even out his breathing. He’s not in trouble, he’s not in trouble… still, he’s terrified of what Black Hat might have in store for him. Neither man says a word as Black Hat rises to his feet, patting his thigh as he makes his way to the door. _Follow._ Nervously, Flug walks with his boss out of the kitchen, oblivious to Demencia and 505’s concerned stares. The duo walk silently down the hallway together, making their way to Black Hat’s bedroom.

“Again, you’re not in trouble, hijo,” Black Hat states, unable to stand the silent tension any longer. “I only wish to discuss something important.”

“What is it?” Flug hates being left in the dark, especially when it involves Black Hat. With how unpredictable his boss can be, he’s honestly a bit scared to find out what’s wrong.

“I need to know what you’ve been through,” Black Hat says, leading Flug into his room before closing the door behind them. When he doesn’t get an immediate reaction, the demon tries again. “What I mean is, I need to know what scares you. Everything that happened today has been… unexpected, to say the least. But now we’re here, and we need to discuss what we’re going to do moving forward.”

“Um…” Flug struggles with his wording, afraid he’ll say the wrong thing. “D-Didn’t you say you wanted to, um… be my padre?”

Black Hat has to stop himself from shivering, feeling something unnamed after hearing Flug refer to him in such a way. “... Yes, I did,” He manages after a minute, subtly swallowing around a nervous lump in his throat. God, when did it get so warm in here!? “However, in order to be that for you, I need make sure I don’t inadvertently say or do something that will make a situation worse. Therefore, I need you to tell me everything you have gone through, no matter how embarrassing or upsetting it was. You must understand, we can’t go about this blind.”

Flug breathes deeply, more than a little overwhelmed by the order. Slowly, he takes a seat on Black Hat’s bed, needing to sit down before he unloads so much trauma. “If… if you’re so sure. Can you just, um, p-promise me one thing?” He requests, anxious to even speak. He really doesn’t want to dig up his past, but his trauma's been a dead horse that he’s dragged around for far too long, and even he has to admit that he needs to talk about it to someone and bury it properly before he can finally move on.

Black Hat visibly hesitates, but slowly, he nods. “Yes. However, it depends… what do you want?”

“It’s not a _want,_ really,” Flug murmurs, feeling nervous. “Just… p-please promise me that, no matter w-what I say, you’re not gonna… you’re not gonna hate me? I don't think I can t-take anymore rejection.”

“Flug, I can’t _possibly_ hate you. Not now, not ever. I pretended I did for a long time, and that was a mistake, but I could never _truly_ hate you. I might not like what you're about to say, but that anger will be towards those who have caused such damage, not _you,_ mi hijo.” Black Hat explains, being careful not to say anything that might scare Flug into silence.

“Okay… okay,” Flug takes another deep breath, before he finally begins to tell his story. “When I was born, people said I was a… a _prodigy._ Those were the good years,” He fiddles with the bottom of his t-shirt, uncomfortable as he unloads. “Back then, mom and dad didn’t hate me as much. They didn’t really love me either, but they could pretend in front of strangers. My older brother, Samuel, was also considered a prodigy. We were put into private school, and were constantly being made to study a lot of different things. The more advanced, the better. We really didn’t get to, um… be kids? It’s hard to explain. Sure, we had each other to play with, but mom and dad would always get mad unless we had a book in front of us.

“At some point, I kinda… stopped being special, at least in my parents eyes. Same happened to Sam. It wasn’t that we weren’t way ahead of our classmates anymore- we both graduated high school before I turned thirteen- but one day, it just stopped being good enough. I really don’t know what caused it, but one day, mom and dad just… _really_ hated us. They were always yelling at us, and telling us we weren’t good enough for anyone. They had said similar stuff when we were little, but it just got… so much _worse._ They never hit us or anything- I think they thought it was too much effort- but they starved us a few times, and would lock us in our rooms if we got anything under 100% right on a test.

“I just kinda dealt with it; I was too scared to say anything. But Sammy… he was so _angry._ Angry at mom, dad, the world. I was fourteen when he told me we were running away. I really didn’t question it at the time; I didn’t want to be all alone, but I was so, _so_ scared of getting in trouble. We ran away in the middle of the night, while mom and dad were out. We ran for what felt like hours… wasn’t until sunrise that we stopped at a motel for the night. That night, we talked for a bit about what we wanted to do. Sammy told me he was going to be a villain, but at the time, I was too scared to follow his lead; I still thought heroes were the good guys. So… Sammy left. I woke up the next morning, and he was gone. I haven’t seen him since.

“I don’t remember much after that… I tried to work for superheroes, but no one wanted me- said if I didn’t have powers that I wasn’t useful- so at some point, I just… gave up. Every hero I’d ever met was a stuck-up jerk, and I'd finally had enough. So I came to work for you,” Flug lays on the bed, staring up at the ceiling as he thinks about how strange it was to tell his life story all at once, realizing at the same moment how _little_ he's actually done in life. “So yeah… that’s my stupid freaking life.” He finishes, feeling sick all over again.

It’s awhile before Black Hat responds. Slowly, the demon sits at the foot of his bed, eyes glassy as he looks down at the boy he’s become so attached to. “… I understand your pain, to some degree. To lose a brother, I mean,” Black Hat says, unsure of what to say after hearing Flug’s story; he's never dealt with something quite like this before. “I have a twin a tad younger than myself. He's… an odd one, at least by demon standards. He was always so intent on being kind, so much so that he refused to act on his demonic urges, and shamed me for acting on mine. Needless to say, it absolutely infuriated me, and it wasn’t long into adulthood before we broke down and had our last fight. Neither one of us won, but the damage was done, and while he went on to become a superhero, I became a villain as I had always intended.”

“Wait… your brother is a hero? With the same powers as you?” Flug asks, the gears in his head spinning as he thinks, feeling as though he’s heard of someone like that before… he’d always assumed the person was a petty copycat of his boss, but the realization that they might be related is more than a bit surprising to Flug. “Does he, perhaps, where a similar outfit to you, but all white?”

“Yes, he does,” Black Hat's completely unfazed, well aware of what his brother is up to, even if he hasn’t talked to him in decades. “He goes by White Hat, but he retired around the same time I did. He runs an organization similar to my own, though he prefers to _donate_ his creations to other heroes,” He scoffs, rolling his eyes at the thought. “Such a waste, giving his weaponry away for free. Charitable fool.”

Flug just nods, beginning to wonder what White Hat is like. He’s never done much research into him, as he never showed up on the computer’s database, and now he’s beginning to see why; Black Hat probably doesn’t like thinking about him. Shaking away the thought, Flug sits up and hugs his boss, wishing to comfort him in some way. “I’m sorry about your brother, jefe.” He whispers, unsure of how to lessen the pain. Does Black Hat even _miss_ his brother? He doesn’t seem to.

“It’s not your fault, hijo,” Black Hat assures, patting Flug’s back. “One of these days, I hope he’ll come to his senses and reunite with me, so that we may conquer the world together. However, I doubt that will ever happen; he’s far too stubborn to see reason.”

Flug refrains from pointing out that Black Hat’s the one most people would see as being in the wrong, but he holds his tongue. To comment on it would be just _asking_ for another spanking, and he knows better than to do that. “Well, I hope you see him again someday. Maybe you could just invite him over to talk? Even if you’re not on the same side, you could still try and bond.” He offers, still trying to help.

Black Hat mentally groans at the thought, but he still offers his scientist a halfhearted bag ruffle. “Perhaps someday,” He agrees, before standing up and cracking his knuckles; he has a feeling Flug isn’t going to like what he’s about to do. “In the meantime, I think it’s about time you had a bath.”

Flug’s eyes widen to the size of saucers, entirely unprepared for this turn of events. “B-Bath!?” He asks, horrified at the thought. “Th-That’s okay, sir! I can just t-take a shower!”

“Nonsense,” Black Hat is firm on the matter, allowing no wiggle room. “You fully admitted that your birth parents were distant, didn't you? Well, perhaps affectionate contact would be a suitable start!”

“I’m _eighteen!”_ Flug points out, though he doesn’t struggle when Black Hat picks him up, aware that upsetting his boss for the millionth time today would be unwise to say the least.

“And _I’m_ over ten _thousand!”_ Black Hat laughs back, amused by his boy’s embarrassment. Hopefully after awhile most of that humiliation will fade, but for now he’ll settle for a squirming little scientist. “In demon years, you’re no older than a newborn! Be happy you’re still allowed to feed yourself, hijo.”

Flug blushes redder than a tomato, burying his face in shame against Black Hat’s jacket, which the demon shrugs off once he’s in the bathroom, leaving him in his red button up and grey vest. Setting Flug on the bathroom floor, Black Hat rolls up his sleeves, giving his reflection an odd look. He looks so… _parental._ It’s an unfamiliar sight, to say the least. Shaking it off, the demon goes about filling the bathtub, snapping his fingers to have bubbles begin to form on the water's surface, as if he had poured bubble bath soap into the tub. Once the bathtub is full, Black Hat turns his attention to Flug, who refuses to meet his gaze. No matter. Carefully, the demon strips the scientist of his clothing, quick to set Flug in the bathtub before he can become embarrassed by his own nudity.

While Black Hat is used to being all business, he lets himself go slow when washing Flug, refusing to let the little one’s hands anywhere near the scrubby. Flug, for his part, ducks his head in shame as he’s scrubbed clean, feeling exposed and weird. He can’t remember ever getting a bath from his parents as a kid; with his parents being so wealthy, they left such a task to their maids, who really weren’t all that gentle. Getting washed had always been a terrible affair, to the point that Flug learned to clean himself by the time he was five, unable to stand getting bathes from the maids anymore. He’s brought out of his thoughts when Black Hat wets his long, curly hair, clearly getting ready to wash that next.

“Head back.” Black Hat warns, which Flug obeys without hesitation. He’s gotten soap in his eyes enough times to not argue, and he’d rather it never happen again, thank you very much.

Despite never having done this before, Black Hat’s incredibly gentle, managing to not hurt Flug as he begins scratching soap into the boy’s scalp, claws retracted enough to not harm him. Soon enough, Flug’s practically _melting_ into the motions, overwhelmingly pleased by the gentle scratching. It isn’t long before Black Hat rinses out his hair, much to Flug’s disappointment, but he doesn’t let himself feel bothered by it for long. After a few more minutes of soaking, Black Hat drains the tub, using a towel to swaddle his boy and pick him up, rubbing him dry once all the water has successfully drained. Flug just lets Black Hat do as he pleases, sighing as he’s thoroughly dried off and sat on the floor.

Black Hat disappears for a few minutes, but comes back with some clean clothes. He gets a binder and shirt on Flug first, aware that the boy hates being bare from the waist up (for understandable reasons). Once that’s done, Black Hat lays Flug on the floor, putting him in yet another diaper. While his boss is busy, Flug looks over his shirt, surprised that it’s not a t-shirt that he recognizes from his closet. Looking more closely, the boy barely contains an embarrassed squeak when he sees what it says; _‘Papi’s Boy’._ Flug refuses to say a thing about it, staring at the ceiling as Black Hat finishes changing him. Skipping pants, Black Hat again scoops Flug up, carrying him back into the bedroom. With the lights turned off, it’s made very clear that night’s fallen, no light other than dull moonlight shining through the curtains.

“I think it’s about time you went to bed.” Black Hat decides, pointedly walking past his bed and out of his bedroom.

Flug raises an eyebrow, confused. Is he not sleeping in Black Hat’s room anymore? Ever since that first spanking, he’s been sleeping in Black Hat’s bed every night, but it looks like that’s about to change. Is he going back to his own room? Apparently not, as Black Hat walks right past it. “Jefe?” He questions, hating how weak his voice sounds. “Where are we going?”

Black Hat smirks, though Flug can’t see it, as he’s positioned to be looking over his boss’s shoulder. “Your new room,” He explains, opening a door that Flug can’t see. “It’s not quite done, as I only had an hour to work on it while you were taking your nap, but I hope to have it finished by tomorrow evening.”

Stepping inside, Flug can’t see much, even when Black Hat adjusts him to be carried bridal style. However, that changes when Black Hat turns on the lights. Flug’s eyes widen at the sight before him, unsure of how to react. To put it mildly, it looks like a kid’s room. To put it _accurately,_ it’s a _fucking nursery._ The walls are baby blue, the beginnings of what look like white clouds painted onto the ceiling, unfinished for the time being. There isn’t much, but like Black Hat mentioned, it’s still not done. The most that’s completed is an adult-sized crib and a changing table. The crib has been fully outfitted with baby blue, cotton sheets, cartoon airplanes printed all over the fabric. There’s also a few blankets, a fluffy pillow, and a stuffed rat sitting upright on the mattress.

“Um…” Flug is conflicted. On one hand, he wants absolutely _nothing_ to do with this weird freaking room, and wants Black Hat to take him to his real room immediately. On the other hand… that mattress looks _outrageously_ soft, and Flug would be lying if he said he didn’t secretly love the plane theme.

“I know you’re an adult by human standards,” Black Hat explains, walking to the crib and setting Flug inside. “But you can act very childlike, and I believe this is much more appropriate. You don’t always have to be a baby- as I’ve said, I still need you as my lead scientist- but when you need a nap or are feeling especially young… I’d like you to sleep in here.”

Flug’s still tempted to argue, but in all honesty he’s _very_ tired, and he’d much prefer to go to bed, especially now that he can confirm that the mattress is indeed the most comfortable mattress he’s ever had the pleasure of sitting on. Yawning, Flug simply nods, finding words too much of a hassle. He lays down on the bed, subtly hugging the stuffed rat to his chest. Rats aren’t his favorite animal, but they’re still very cute, making them hard for him to ever experiment on; he prefers human subjects. In the meantime, Black Hat seems pleased by Flug’s lack of resistance, tucking him in with several blankets. Once his boy is properly cocooned and beginning to doze off, Black Hat heads to the door and shuts off the lights.

“Goodnight, hijo,” Black Hat says for the second time today, an easygoing bliss filling his bones. Is this what having a baby is like? Now he sees why humans want to breed so badly. “T-”

“Te amo, jefe.” Flug beats Black Hat to it, falling asleep right after he says it.

Black Hat feels his heart skip a beat, eyes wide. Did… did Flug _really…?_ The demon gives a contented smile, shaking his head as he walks out the door. His scientist is just full of surprises.

…

He’s fourteen years old. Staring out the window of the motel, a sickness runs through the teenager’s bones. They’re _really_ doing this… he turns his back to the window, unable to stare at the rainstorm outside any longer, too afraid to see the red and blue lights he almost wishes were coming, but he knows they’re not; if anything, Mom and Dad will be glad to find out that their worthless children ran away. Looking around the room, the boy’s eyes land on his older brother, the boy hunched over his laptop, working away on something. Fidgeting, the younger boy approaches his brother, tentatively taking a seat beside the man. He half expects to be shushed away, but his brother doesn’t seem to mind his presence, so he sticks around.

Curious, the younger boy looks at his brother’s computer screen, eyes widening at what he sees. “Whoa,” He murmurs, voice coming out higher pitched than he’d like it to; his brother has assured him that the testosterone shots will fix that soon, but he’s left feeling embarrassed in the meantime. “What’s that, Sammy?” He asks, forcing himself to stop thinking about his transition.

“Something that’s going to shake up the way the world works,” Samuel explains, turning the laptop to face his brother. “You know how there’re superheroes and supervillains running around out there? Well, the two biggest names on both lists just announced their retirements. Before, it was damn near impossible to get anywhere as a villain, but with Black Hat stepping down and White Hat backing off… it means I can get started on becoming a villain.”

The computer screen is littered with several open documents, all government based. The younger boy isn’t sure what it all means- he’s sure he could figure it out if he was given time to look the files over- but he’s sure it would cause pandemonium if shown to the public based off of the file names alone. “But… why not become a hero?” The younger brother finally suggests, confused by his older brother’s decision.

“Because mom made all her money off of superheroes, and I sure as fuck am _not_ gonna help her anytime soon. I didn’t want to tell you when we were living with them, since I didn’t want you to get the wrong idea about it; mom pours all her extra money into superhero owned corporations, and in return, they subtly take out her competitors,” Samuel seems to have it all figured out, excited to tell his brother everything he has planned. “My plan is to expose mom for the monster she is, and in the process take out a few crooked capes. If I do that, no hero team will want me, but I’m sure some villains would _love_ to take me under their wings, especially if I give this information to one of them!"

“Why not just… call the cops?” It’s clear that the younger brother doesn’t want to break the law, his nervous fidgeting increasing at the very thought of getting involved with supervillains.

“And since when has calling the cops worked before? You and I both know cops ain’t shit to people like us; they’re all in the pockets of big business,” Samuel says, irritated at the idea of contacting the police. However, he softens a fraction for his brother, giving the younger boy an affectionate hair ruffle. “Not that it really matters… once mom’s exposed, hopefully a lot more corruption will be, too. Which reminds me; what the hell are you planning to do out there, Florence? I know you don’t wanna be a villain like me; you’re too soft for that.”

“I, uh… I dunno yet,” Florence admits, ducking his head. He looks away, eyes scanning the room, before they land on his backpack. He brightens up immediately, opening the bag and pulling out one of his notebooks. He opens it on the bed, flipping through the pages until he lands on the one he was looking for. “Maybe I could sell my ideas or something? I know I have a few designs for some robots and stuff like that… I guess it’s a good thing dad made me major in engineering, huh?”

Samuel picks up the notebook, eyes squinting as they focus on the pages in front of him. “What’s this thing? It looks like a carebear.” He shows the design in question to his brother, who immediately blushes at the demeaning comment.

“He’s not a carebear, doofus!” Florence snaps, snatching the notebook from his brother. He flips to the next page, showing a more in-depth illustration. “He’s my pride and joy; 5.0.5! Given the right equipment, I think I could make the single most advanced, man-made, biological lifeform that’s _ever_ been born!”

“It’s certainly… _out there,”_ Samuel struggles with his words, unable to filter himself. Upon seeing Florence wilt with disappointment, he hurries to reassure the boy. “I-I’m sure it’ll work, bro! It just… needs some adjustments. Specifically in design if you want to be taken seriously.”

"Oh...” Florence looks away, closing his notebook in shame. After an extended pause, he meets his brother’s gaze again, true concern showing in his eyes, but for something entirely unrelated to his future creation. “Are you _sure_ we should split up, Sammy? I mean, I know what you’re doing is dangerous, but maybe I could tag along and help? I’m not very good at fighting, but I could still do it!”

Samuel sighs, shaking his head. “No, Florence… I’m sorry, but I can’t take you with me; you’re better off striking out on your own. We both have college educations, right? I’m sure if you faked a new identity and lied about your age, you could make it on your own!”

Florence feels tears building in his eyes, the fear of abandonment setting in. “But it won’t be the same without you!” He insists, fighting back the desire to cry and guilt trip his brother into sticking around. "Please don't leave me, Sammy! I love you so much, and I don't want you to get killed by superheroes!"

Samuel softens, giving his brother a rare hug. “I know. But you’ll be okay, lil’ bro… just think of how nice it’ll be to transition without anyone knowing your dead name! Speaking of which, what are you gonna name yourself?” He can’t help but be curious, as he knows Florence isn’t going to keep his name; it’s far too feminine.

Florence visibly hesitates, thinking it over. He opens his notebook once more, flipping to one of the last few pages. It’s a drawing of a person in a lab coat, with a brown paper bag over their head with goggles over their eyes. “I was thinking… _Flug Slys?_ It means _‘Flight Accident’_ in Icelandic, and I think it sounds kinda cool, especially if I ever build my own plane!”

“It certainly isn’t the weirdest name I’ve ever heard.” Samuel admits, laying down on the motel bed. He exhales, feeling exhausted, but he knows he has to leave soon if he wants to catch the next plane to Mexico, where a majority of the heroes and villains of the world are located.

“How about you?” Florence asks, lying down beside his older brother. Lying down, the age and height differences between them is much more obvious, even if Florence is fairly sure that he’ll grow a few more inches before he reaches adulthood. “Shouldn’t you change your name too, or at least have a villain name? I know mom and dad aren’t gonna come after us, but… you might need a new name anyways.”

“Huh? Really?” Samuel questions. Upon earning a nod, he sighs, staring at the ceiling. “How about… _Slug Flys?_ That way, if we _ever_ do team up and you become a supervillain, we’ll match!

“Unless you change your mind and become a superhero!” Florence says, convinced that he’ll someday convert his brother into becoming a good guy.

“Oh yeah? You really think an asshole like me can be a superhero?” Samuel doesn’t sound very convinced. Slowly, he rolls over to face his brother, and in an instant he’s hugging him against his chest again, his grip nearly bone crushing. “Promise me you’ll stay out of trouble, little bro… promise me you’ll stay safe. I know you’ll be okay in the end, ‘cause you’re my little brother, but I’m still pretty worried about you… just _please_ don’t get yourself in too deep; can't have _both of us_ gettin' ourselves into trouble."

Florence closes his eyes, burying his face in Samuel’s turtleneck. “I’ll be safe, Sammy… I _promise.”  
_

“Good,” Samuel murmurs, aware that his brother is beginning to nod off; they’ve had a really long day. “I’ll try and remember to write to you, okay? I love you, Flug. I’ll see you again someday… I promise.” He waits until his brother has fallen asleep to get up, pack his things, and leave the motel. He’s doing this for him… not to mention to get back at their good for nothing parents, but Samuel still hopes he can reconnect with his brother again someday; he just hopes Flug won’t hate the man he’s become by then.

**Author's Note:**

> Sorry this took a bit to get out, but it’s another long one, so I think I get a pass. The next fic is going to be the beginning of a three parter, in which Flug’s brother gets introduced alongside the rest of the Heroic squad. I wonder what Slug is going to think about Black Hat… he IS a protective older brother after all! >:3c See you guys later!
> 
> ((Edited on June 2nd, 2019. I forgot how emotional Slug makes me.))


End file.
